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Life is busy! When there are competing demands on my time, here four strategies I use to prioritize exercise:

Identify the Optimal Workout Time

Right now 6:15 AM is my time. Early morning works for me because (for the most part) the rest of my life doesn’t get in the way. If something does interfere, I can often manage to squeeze in a little exercise later in the day (multiple short walks, evening run, etc.). Another huge motivator - I can dial back the insulin for a couple hours afterward.

Leverage Technology

With so many tech tools designed explicitly to support the pursuit of a healthy lifestyle, why not give some a try? Here’s what I’m using right now:

Connect App+ Garmin Vívofit – A birthday gift from my family.

5kRunner App – With this $3 investment I got in shape for my first 5k.

Audible.com – I got a Groupon for a 3-month trial and liked the service so much, I extended my membership. The trick? I don’t let myself listen to a book unless I’m out for a run.

Podcasts – Sometimes I change it up and listen to podcasts while I run. Current favorites include: The Moth, This American Life, New Yorker Fiction.

Recruit Friends and Family

I don't know about you, but I don't get to see enough of the people I care about. So here’s what I did:

I got a pedometer for my husband and challenged him to a steps competition. While I know the 10,000 steps are arbitrary, they still serve as a useful milestone. In fact, it was those 10,000 steps that inspired me to start running - because I didn’t have time to walk them all 10,000 of them.)

I invited friends to walk and/or run with me. It’s good for us all, right?

I invited a few other friends to go to Zumba with me. Just $5 a class at our local rec center. Great music, great company.

I signed up for a neighborhood 5k. Did I mention that I am was not a runner? (See what I did there? Now I am a runner.)

I invited my 11-year old to run with me on the weekends. (We take turns playing favorite songs for each other. I love learning what she’s into!)

I realized that my neighbor and I have memberships at the same gym. Now we go to the gym together.

Vary the Activities

Admittedly, I like routines, and I have to work at introducing variety. Here's what I'm doing now:

Cardio and weight lifting (2x/week)

Yoga (1x/week)

Running (2x/week)

Fast-walking (1x/week) or Hiking

How about you? How do you stay committed to exercise?

This post is part of Diabetes Blog Week.The Prompt:Diabetes tips and diabetes tricks.For more perspectives on this topic, click here.

I've never been much of a runner. So I downloaded a running app and started training the next day. I registered for a local race (Denver’s Adelante! 5k). Then I recruited a few pals to run with me once a week. The other days I ran on my own. In time, I began to look forward to the trainings as a way to spend time with people I don’t see often enough or to just zone out and listen to music.

With 7 weeks of training under my belt, I was feeling reasonably prepared on the day of the race. I ate an apple, drank some water, and stashed a juice box in my jacket pocket, just in case. My family came with me to cheer me on (it being Mothers’ Day, what choice had they?). I ran most of the way. And since I wasn’t running for any particular time, I was happy to complete the course in 36:12.

The numbers I care more about are the ones on my meter. And I was less happy with those yesterday. Given that I’d been testing and adjusting for weeks to determine a sensible strategy for the run, I was vexed by my body's response. Here’s what the day looked like in diabetes terms:

7:15

Test: 89mg/DL

8:15

Test: 81mg/DL

Eat apple (skip bolus)

Preventively, to avoid mid-race low.

8:45

Decrease basal rate by 20%

Again, preventively.

9:00

Run (mostly) for 36 min.

9:55

Test: 176mg/DL

Woah…

Check site (it’s fine).

Bolus 2.5 units

Hope that’s not too aggressive.

Hydrate.

10:10

Test: 172mg/DL

Really?

Ponder test strip inaccuracy.

Verify recent changes to pump settings.

Second-guess skipping the apple bolus.

Second-guess the 20% basal decrease.

10:20

Test: 164mg/DL

Still?

Bolus 1 more unit.

Head home.

Change site.

Spot a few air bubbles in line.

Maybe?

Open new vial of insulin.

It’s time anyway.

Continue to bolus against a stubborn high for most of the day.

Sheesh.

It’s difficult to convey how damn squirrely diabetes is to people who don’t live with it every day. The best-laid plans often deliver uncertain results. It can be super frustrating. And yet, diabetes didn’t spoil yesterday; my first 5k was rewarding and fun.

This post was written for Diabetes Blog Week.
The prompt (suggested by Kim of Texting my Pancreas): Change the World.

Three mornings a week, I head to the gym, dial down my insulin, insert ear buds and spend 45 minutes ellipticizing. There's a lot of motivation: I want my clothes to fit, I'll enjoy the post-exercise calm, I want to model healthy habits for my daughters, etc. But really gets me out the door is knowing that I'll be able to dial back my insulin by about 15% for several hours following the workout.

This morning I broke from routine and attended a WillPower & Grace® class taught by my friend Jen. The class was part of the One Billion Rising movement, which is itself pretty fantastic.

I was apprehensive about trying to keep pace with the über-fit regular attendees. But the class was terrific. I worked hard, broke a sweat and stretched long-forgotten muscles.

And! Just before the class started, I saw a woman I recognized. Where did I know her from? Work? The neighborhood? Then I noticed her wrapping the plastic tubing around her insulin pump. And I remembered meeting her last summer at our kids' swim lessons.

We chatted briefly this morning after class, exchanged contact info and just appreciated the ease of connecting with someone who "gets it" without explanation.